Kallen Blair and Alie B. Gorrie have had many conversations about inclusion and representation of disability in the arts, and both share a passion for changing the way disability is currently portrayed in media. Now these actors are getting a chance to share their conversations with an audience in their new documentary series, ABLE. Here, Kallen and Alie B. talk about what to expect from ABLE, the future of the series, and how we can engage with them.

Office of VSA and Accessibility: What is ABLE, and what inspired this project?

Kallen: ABLE is a new documentary series with a goal of creating dialogue about disability inclusion in entertainment—dialogue that results in action! We sit down with various figures in theater, film, television, and entertainment who are also part of the disability community. So many things inspired ABLE. Alie B. and I are both members of the industry as actors and we noticed a stark lack of inclusion and non-stereotypical representation of people with disabilities. The initial push was our connection with disability,has a vision impairment and my brother has nonverbal autism and cerebral palsy. Then we learned the facts … for example, while one in four Americans has a disability, 95% of the time they are portrayed by actors without disabilities in the media. SAG-AFTRA, AEA, and the ADA have put regulations in place that should allow for equal employment opportunity, but we have so much evidence that these regulations are so often ignored, and we include anecdotes in the series. We are driven by facts, the desire to change them, and ownership that as the next generation in the entertainment industry, we possess the capacity to help make change happen.

Alie B.: Kallen and I had been having discussions about inclusion in the arts for quite some time, so when she approached me with the idea for ABLE, I jumped on board. I wanted ABLE to happen because I want to spark conversations in the industry and beyond. I also am hungry to see conversations shift. I have been in plenty of casting situations where the creative team sees disability as a hindrance, as a negative. What if we could flip that script? What if creative teams talked about working WITH disability instead of working around it or masking it? What if writers realized that an inclusive community, or ensemble, includes cast members with disabilities? What if theatergoers left a theater and noticed the lack of inclusion onstage, and these people begin working in their theater communities to see changes in disability representation?

Office of VSA and Accessibility: Who is your target audience for the series? What do you hope they take away from it?

Kallen: I believe our target audience ranges from the general public to industry professionals. Much of this industry seems to work in a cycle. Directors and casting directors of film, television, and theater find the actors to carry out the stories (primarily) based on what the producers are looking for, and producers are typically driven by the dollar. That is to say, producers are driven by what they believe people want to see. We hope people realize they want to see (and deserve to see!) the most authentic storytelling. We hope casting directors, directors, and writers will watch and learn ways they can make their audition process fully accessible. We hope producers will want to create stories about our authentic world.

Office of VSA and Accessibility: Who are some of the artists that you have gotten to interview and feature as part of the series? Can you offer any sneak peeks into the insight they share?

Kallen: We have a list of powerhouses and they each added such unique perspectives. I can think of two (among many) pieces of insight off the top of my head that really impacted me. Danny Woodburn (Seinfeld, Jingle All the Way, The Bold and the Beautiful) really drove home that in matters of diversity in entertainment, disability inclusion is continually left out of the conversation. In that vein, overlooking that fact is truly systematic oppression. We cannot have a diversity discussion and neglect the disability community. We also asked Ali Stroker (Glee, Broadway’s Spring Awakening and Oklahoma) what she would say to a room full of industry “higher-ups.” Her answer: “Let’s stop talking about it and make something!!” And that truly is the mindset we have to—and get to—take on!

Office of VSA and Accessibility: When and where will people be able to view ABLE?

Kallen: We have to stay kind of tight-lipped unfortunately until we have definite responses for both questions, BUT finding a home on a streaming service is currently in the works. In the meantime, we will be premiering our first episode featuring dancer Evan Ruggiero at ReelAbilities Film Festival NY on April 7. We are planning to add other festivals as well.

Office of VSA and Accessibility: What do you envision for the future of this series?

Kallen: Gosh, we get so excited about the future. Also in the spirit of not giving away too much, we really hope to keep going and adopt Ali Stroker’s mentality of “Let’s stop talking about it and make something!!”

Alie B.: We hope to continue ABLE and visit the theater companies, film sets, and Broadway stages where inclusion is alive and well. How incredible to give examples of what inclusion in action looks like! We want folks to know that creating an inclusive environment is not such an ordeal.

Office of VSA and Accessibility: How would you like viewers to engage with you?

Alie B.: We lovvveee engagement! Find us on Facebook @ABLEseries and instagram @Ableaseries. You can also email our production company at [email protected]. We answer!